It's Not Always Easy
by pearlbutterfly4
Summary: Kazuha and Heiji have been friends forever, and they're pretty sure it's going to stay that way. But fate has a funny way of being unexpected. From one bump in the road to the next, Heiji and Kazuha will find that falling in love is not always easy...
1. Chapter 1

"Hurry up, Heiji!" I yelled, before shooting him a glare. He looked at me, smiled, shrugged, and continued to pack his kendo equipment at the pace of, say, a slug.

It has been a whole THIRTY minutes since practice ended. Thirty! But he seems unaware of the fact that his best friend (yep, that's me) has been waiting oh, so patiently for him for hours. It's beyond frustrating how he's just taking his sweet time.

Time that I could be studying for the major test tomorrow. But of course that's not the case for Mr. Genius. In fact, I'm pretty sure the concept of "studying" is utterly foreign to Heiji. All he has to do is waltz into the classroom (while I'm cramming in last minute information), look at the paper sensei passes out, scribble in answers for about fifteen minutes, and _poof!_ 100%.

The world is cruel to me.

Well, at least he and his friends were getting nearer to where I was waiting by the bench. So there were making progress. And I could eavesdrop on their conversation.

"You know that new girl that came yesterday?" One of them (not sure what his name was) asked Heiji. "The really hot one that calls herself Candy?"

"Yeah?" Heiji raised a single dark eyebrow.

I bit my lip.

"I heard her talking about your by the lockers today," Unidentified Guy continued.

WHAT? She's not even that pretty! And what kind of name is Candy, anyway? Okay, fine, she has a good figure and wears cute clothes, and has amazing hair (not that I'm jealous or anything), but would Heiji really fall for that? Hasn't he heard the saying that beauty is only skin deep? He's way too good for- ahem.

Forget everything I just said.

"Really?" Heiji's face was expressionless.

I looked away. But I could still hear them talking.

"Yeah, dude, I would do anything to go out with her. I also heard her friends say that she wants to ask you out."

My throat made a sort of choking sound, like a cat coughing up a hairball.

"Hey, isn't that Kazuha?"

Sure, _now _they notice me.

"Yeah, I need to go now. She's probably going to kill me if I waste anymore time," laughed Heiji. "Right, 'zuha?"

"Don't call me that," I scowled. (And I'M NOT IN A BAD MOOD BECAUSE OF ALL THAT CANDY BUSINESS! I'm just…okay, if you aren't going to help me prove my point then Just. Shut. Up.)

"Well, someone's grumpy today," Heiji said innocently.

"Yeah, I wonder why," I glared at him.

"You know, I remember my mom telling me that if you glare too much, your face will be permanently like that."

"That's not funny."

"Yeah it is!"

"Well, not when you're making fun of me!"

"You were in a bad mood to begin with!"

"And now you just made it worse!"

"Can't you take a joke?"

"Does it look like I'm in the joking mood right now?"

"Hey, Heiji!" Unidentified Guy called. We stopped in mid-argument.

"You guys are like a married couple!" He yelled before cracking up. Then, he realized that he was within our attacking distance, and began to run.

"Heiji and Kazuha sitting in a tree…." I could hear him singing.

I felt the blood surge to my face, and I'm pretty sure my face was bright red.

"Baka! It's not like that!" Heiji yelled. The other guys were laughing as well. I saw that Unidentified Guy was already a good distance away.

Which kind of sucked because I really needed a good way to release my frustration. And my akido needed some practicing.

"I'll get him tomorrow," he said drily.

"Yeah, let me know when you do."

"It's not funny, 'zuha."

"I know that! But you can't always be so grumpy whenever someone teases us about, you know-" I broke off. Because I know that he knew what I knew when I said "you know." (Did you get that?) And Heiji had stressed more than once that he absolutely hated talking about issues related to that. So we just avoid the subject altogether.

"Come on, Kazuha," he started walking in the direction of our homes, and I had to run a little to catch up.

I tilted my face up to look at him. Now, he looked flustered.

"Heiji," I began slowly.

"Just forget about it!" he snapped.

I sighed heavily.

Heiji and I were just friends.

And that's all we were ever going to be.


	2. Chapter 2

_Tap, tap, tap_

"KAZUHA, I SWEAR IF YOU TAP THAT PENCIL ONE MORE TIME-"

This was our usual routine. After school, since both of our parents were working, I stayed at Heiji's house. My dad insisted on that. Being in the police department seemed to make him more paranoid about the dangers presented to a teenager. (Having my mom die at an early age didn't really help much.)

I grinned wickedly at Heiji from where I was sitting across the kitchen table. He returned with a don't-you-dare glare.

"Careful, your face might permanently stay that way," I warned.

He continued glaring.

Dear Heiji, after being friends for thirteen years, there are certain things that you should have learned about me. One being that stubbornness is one of my gifts. So, simply glaring will _not _stop me from annoying you. Sincerely, Kazuha.

"You're composing a mental letter about how incredibly stubborn you are?"

P.S. I seem to have forgotten that you have this really weird way of managing to figure out what's on my mind.

"What's the point of writing a mental letter, anyway?"

I shrugged and continued with my homework.

Fifteen seconds later…

_Tap, tap, _

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, _

_Tap, tap, tap, _

_Tap, tap, tap, tap-_

SNAP!

Heiji stood over me, breathing heavily. In his hands were the broken fragments of my pencil.

"YOU. SO. OWE. ME. A. PENCIL." I stamped out.

"You were getting on my nerves!"

"Then, you need to start working on your anger management issues," I told him.

"No, I don't. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME BEING ANNOYED BY YOU CONSTANTLY TAPPING YOUR PENCIL!"

I rolled my eyes and went back to staring ruefully at my homework. In my head, a vegetarian dinosaur walked into Heiji's home, knocked him on the head, picked up my homework in its mouth, and chewed it until it was unreadable and therefore impossible for me to work on.

"But I know that you tap your pencil when you're thinking hard," Heiji said slowly and thoughtfully. GASP. Heiji was actually thinking! (And not thinking logically or strategically like in school or when he's solving a case. You know, thinking as in being thoughtful and considerate and sensitive…okay, I'm going to stop now.)

"Yeeaaahhhh," My response.

"You want me to help you?" he offered.

"You what?" Being the graceful person that I was, I managed to fall off the chair and land on my arm. Hard.

"You're that surprised at me helping you?" Heiji smirked in amusement.

"No! I just- OW (censored word)!" I sat up, holding my left arm.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Heiji was instantly next to me.

"I've always thought that that was a rhetorical question," I sniffed.

"Let me see," he gently turned my arm so that it was palm up before running his hands up and down, feeling for the injury. To my mortal embarrassment, I could feel my face flush. And where his hands were in contact with my skin, I felt this curious tingling sensation. And it was warm. His hands felt really warm against my skin.

He let go of my arm, and suddenly, everything seemed unexplainably cold.

"You just might be the clumsiest person I know," Heiji said sighing.

Why, thank you. That's such a sympathetic thing to say to your best friend when she's injured.

"I mean, who falls off a chair and breaks their arm?"

"It's broken?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure it is. We should go to the hospital anyway."

I stood up and followed him out the door.

Well, this day just keeps getting better and better,

**Hi everyone! Hope you like the story! In the actual series, Kazuha's mother isn't dead, but she isn't really mentioned, so for the sake of my story, I killed her (sorry!) You will find out how later. Anyways, COMMENT, REVIEW! Please?**


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, you okay?"

I looked up from where I was sitting on the examining table to see Heiji leaning against the doorframe.

"Let's see… I have a test tomorrow, haven't finished my homework yet… oh, yeah, and I HAVE A BROKEN ARM."

"I guess you're okay," Heiji smirked before sitting down next to me.

"Sorry," I sighed, feeling slightly guilty at my outburst. I held up my arm, which was now had a green cast from my elbow down to my wrist. "I'm just kind of mad at myself." I paused briefly. "I'm such a klutz."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, too."

I glanced at Heiji in surprise. He stared at the floor. "You're sorry? Why? You were being nice, well, sort of, and just trying to help me with my homework. _I'm _the one who managed to fall off a chair," I laughed drily.

"But, you're not supposed to get hurt when you're around me. Things like that shouldn't happen," Heiji said quietly. He seemed fixed on examining the tile floor of the hospital room. Which I can't really understand, since it was mostly white and gray. "You're supposed to be safe."

"Um…" I know, great response, Kazuha.

"Am I interrupting anything?" The nurse, a soft-spoken woman in her late thirties, stood timidly just outside the room. I remembered that her name was Elizabeth.

"No, not at all," Heiji said, quickly standing up.

"Kazuha Toyama, right?" Elizabeth checked her clipboard.

"Right."

"The doctor requests that you avoid physical activity that has contact to your arm. Make sure you get plenty of rest and come back in two weeks."

"Okay, thanks," I said, getting off the examining table.

I was already out in the hallway before I discovered that Heiji wasn't with me. I walked back towards the room, prepared to accuse him of once again being a slowpoke, but stopped when I realized that he and Elizabeth were having a conversation.

I peeked into the room.

"You two have such a great relationship," Elizabeth remarked.

"Er, well, we're not really in a relationship," Heiji fidgeted uncomfortably. Typical Heiji.

This new piece of information didn't seem to daunt the nurse.

"You aren't? I suppose that's because you two haven't acknowledged your true feelings."

True feelings? What is she talking about? I totally acknowledge my true feelings. Unless it involves Hei- oohh. Well, that doesn't count!

"I think you might be picking up on details that aren't really there," Heiji said, not impolitely.

"Oh, they're there, all right. _You _just haven't picked up on them."

Seeing Heiji's blank response, Elizabeth sighed.

"Anyways, just make sure you take good care of her," she said before bustling around the room and preparing for the next patient. "Though," she added with a knowing wink. "I don't think you need me to tell you that."

Heiji stared at her for a second before something clicked, and all of a sudden everything cleared so that his face relaxed into a smile.

"No, you don't have to tell me."

"That's what I thought," Elizabeth smiled back. There was like a psychic connection there for an instant. She seemed to fully understand what Heiji was thinking about (although on the other hand, _I _had no clue.)

I pulled back into the hallway just as he reached the doorway.

"So, what took you so long?" I asked innocently.

"Nothing much," Heiji said, equally innocently. But I could tell that his conversation with Elizabeth had put him in a good mood. He remained smiling while we walked down the corridors and as we went through the automatic sliding doors of the hospital towards the parking lot.

"Aren't you going to tell me what your conversation is about?" I asked. Because even though I did hear what they were talking about, I wasn't sure exactly what was going on inside Heiji's big head.

Heiji turned around to hand me my helmet before climbing onto his motorcycle.

"Nah, you'll figure it out soon," he grinned.

**Thanks everyone who reviewed! 3 you guys! And what's up with Heiji?**

**Hm…**

**Otherwise, review, comment, etc!** :]


	4. Chapter 4

"See you tomorrow!"

I waved back at Heiji before shutting the door. Glancing out the window, I could see him waving back at me. I smiled, before turning away.

Being the diligent student that I was, I decided to spend the next hour struggling over homework. (Oh, the joys of high school.)

Halfway through Biology, my brain managed to come to a complete standstill. My next thought was: multiple resources to the rescue! This led to me nearly turning my backpack inside out in search of my notes until I realized I had left it at school. Along with my textbook.

Okay, maybe a break from homework would be good right now.

I walked into my room, and sat down at the edge of my bed. With the green walls and the pale sunlight streaming through the window, it was the supposed haven from the chaos of the world.

Maybe, if I had bothered to clean it up, it might have had the potential of being a relaxing refuge.

But then again, it probably _was _rather neat if you compared it to Heiji's room.

That and the fact that I'm slightly OCD when it comes to neatness. To me, an occasional shirt or paper on the ground drops the room to the "messy" category. So, don't even get me started on the category Heiji's room belonged in.

Sighing, I fell back against the pillows.

Nestled among the many colorful ribbons strewn across my nightstand was a golden heart-shaped locket on a thin golden chain. It was a simple piece of jewelry, nothing too flashy or study.

I stretched out my hand and picked up the locket. I undid the tiny clasp on the side of the heart and opened it. Inside, there was a picture of my mother, father, and me in the middle. We had taken the picture on my ninth birthday, and Mom had given it to me as a present a year before she died.

I remember that day so well. Remember laughing at my dad's lame jokes, hugging my mom as a thank you, and wearing the locket so proudly for the first time. I don't think I've ever felt so….happy.

_Rrrrriiinnnggg! RRrriiinnnggg!_

My heart nearly stopped when the locket fell out of hands. It slid off the side of my bed, heading towards instant death. I dove for it, but it was too late.

My stomach dropped when I heard the sickening crack of the locket hitting the hardwood floor.

"No, no, no, no, no, this is not happening, this is not happening!"

The heart was broken into four jagged pieces. A broken heart. But the symbolic significance didn't occur to me. I felt tears gathering in my eyes as I dropped the four pieces back onto my nightstand.

The phone continued ringing, so I trudged out to the living room.

"Hello?"

"Kazuha?"

"Oh, hi, Dad! I'm so glad that you're calling right now! You have no idea what I've bee-"

"I'm really sorry, Kazuha, but I need to go to a meeting soon. I was just calling to let you that I'm probably going to spend the night at the office, working on a case. So I can't make it home today. You okay with being alone?"

What was I supposed to say? No, Dad, you're not allowed to continue working on your job because your daughter is so incredibly CLUMSY?

"Hello?"

"I guess so. But just listen to me-"

"Kazuha, I am in a huge rush. I have a tremendous load of information to go over and plenty of coffee to fuel me for the night, so don't worry about me, but please save what you were going to tell me for tomorrow. I'll be home by then."

"O-okay," I said, my voice cracking. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Good girl. And if you need anything, just call Heiji."

"Sure," (not)

"Bye, I love you."

"Love you, too, Dad."

I hung up, and slid down to the ground. Not that I wasn't used to being home alone, but on this particular day, when everything seemed to be falling apart, I really needed _someone _here with me. Sitting on the tile floor, I leaned back against the counter and let depression hang over me.

Today was really not my day.

So, what did I do?

Well, given the present circumstances (the whole Candy incident after kendo practice, then Heiji's annoying remarks at the dinner table, followed by me falling off a chair, then breaking my arm, plus the homework dilemma, not to mention the locket and my dad's sudden news), you can't blame me for feeling a bit upset….Okay, a lot upset.

I broke down in tears.

**I'm sorry this is a really sad chapter! Poor Kazuha, sob sob. But it will get better (hopefully.) Anyways, love it? Hate it? Comment pplleeaassseee! **

**And thanks to everyone who has commented! :] (I just realized that I used a lot of exclamation points right now.)**


	5. Chapter 5

I'm not sure how long I stayed crying. I only knew that my first trigger back into reality was when the doorbell rang.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I reached for the doorknob.

Who knows? Maybe a miracle has happened, and my mother has come back to life. Or my dad suddenly realizes the solution to the case, so he's back home super early.

I swung the door open.

Drumroll please….. it is the….

Garbage truck guy.

Oh, awesome.

"Um, can I help you?" Because what the heck was he doing here? Unless, he was secretly a magical ninja that could reverse the past twenty-four hours.

"Miss? I'm just here to tell you that you need to move the garbage bin out. Today, is trash-collecting day."

"Oh, uh, it's ok. We didn't have a lot of trash to throw out, so we'll just skip this week. Yeah…"

"You sure?"

I nodded, my tears threatening to fall again.

"Okay. Well, then have a good day," he called as he walked back towards the truck. I watched as he drove down the street.

Have a good day, I would have almost started laughing at the irony if my heart wasn't about to break from depression.

I shut the door and sat back down on the floor. I saw a teardrop hit the ground. What was with me today? For some reason, I could. Not. Stop. Crying.

Okay, Kazuha, you can deal with this. Sure, you haven't finished your homework. Who cares if you broke your arm or your most beloved posse- yeah, that probably wasn't the most encouraging thought.

I was ready to break into another sob-fest when I heard the doorbell ring.

Yet again.

Did I really want to open that door and face disappointment?

No, but I went ahead and opened the door anyway.

I almost started crying again when I saw who was standing in front of me. But it sure wasn't crying from disappointment.

"Kazuha, are you okay?"

I blinked again to make sure the tall lean figure on my doorstep was really him (and to hold back the tears that I knew were all poised and ready to fall.)

"'zuha?" He asked again.

Relief flooded me. And I think I did start crying again.

"Heiji!"

I threw my arms around him. It hurt my casted arm a little, but I was past caring. All I knew was that Heiji was here, and when he was here, everything seemed to be better.

At first, Heiji was surprised at my reaction. (Well, why wouldn't he be?) He just stood there unmoving, for a brief second, and I almost pulled back in embarrassment. But hesitantly, his strong arms wrapped around me and then more definitely, held me there.

"I'm so, so glad you're here," I whispered into his ear.

"You've been crying," he said softly.

Then we both seemed to realize at the same time that we were in a rather, um, _huggy_ position.

I stepped back quickly. My eyes were probably red-rimmed and my face was puffy from crying for so long. I knew without looking that my hair was also a mess.

"I'm sorry," I said waveringly. "It's just that-"

"You don't have to apologize for anything," Heiji stopped me.

He steered me back inside the house and sat me down on the couch. Then, he walked into the kitchen and found a tray of cookies that I had baked yesterday, along with some instant tea and carried them out to the living room.

"I figured you must be having trouble with your homework. So I brought this," He brought out from behind his back his Biology textbook.

I stared at him in disbelief. What was he, psychic or something? Maybe that's how he solved all those mystery cases.

"How did you know that I desperately needed it? And why do you have yours? I thought you finished your homework during class."

"I remembered your bag looked lighter today. And I remember that you had all of your textbooks inside your locker afterschool. So, after kendo practice ended, I ran back to my locker to get mine," Heiji admitted sheepishly.

"You did?" I opened up the textbook and found some of his notes. "You have your notes from the lecture, too? Then, that was why you were taking so long after practice ended. And I was yelling at you, too," I realized with sudden guilt.

I'm so sorry." (I seem to be saying that a lot today.)

"Fine, this time I will accept your apology," Heiji said with a small smile.

I laughed a little and he handed me a cup of tea before sipping from his own cup. I took it from him gratefully. I closed my eyes and breathed in the soothing smell of jasmine. It wasn't anything special. But it seemed to instantly dry the salt water in my eyes. I opened my eyes again to see Heiji peering at me over his cup of tea.

"Feel better now?" He asked.

"Lots."

"That's what I thought," he said. "So, what else is bothering you?"

"Why would you think that-"

Heiji gave me that don't-lie-to-me look.

I sighed. "I broke my mom's locket. I was holding it, and then the phone rang. It startled me, so being the stupid, clumsy person that I am, I dropped it."

He didn't really say anything. I know that he knew very well just how important that locket was to me. And we both knew that sympathy and self-remorse wasn't going to fix the locket.

"I could try to fix it for you," Heiji said suddenly.

I glanced up quickly at him.

"You don't have to…." I trailed off.

"Can I at least see how bad it's broken?"

"Fine," I gestured towards my bedroom. "It's on the nightstand where I usually keep it."

He was gone for a few minutes. Meanwhile, I busied myself with the life-saving Biology textbook. I ended up not using Heiji's notes since his handwriting was rather difficult to decipher, but the textbook was enough so that when he came back, I was nearly done with a page.

I didn't ask him about the locket. One, because I was already fairly sure that the locket was unfixable. Two, I didn't want anymore bad news. And three, he didn't push me to ask about it.

We were both pretty quiet for the next hour. I was still working on my homework, and Heiji had turned on the TV. He was engrossed in some new case that the police were investigating.

I don't remember much happening after that.

When I woke up in the morning, I realized that I was back in my bed. For a second, I was confused. Was everything that happened just a dream?

Then, I saw that although I was tucked into the blankets, I was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. And next to me on the nightstand was a note.

_Kazuha:_

_ You fell asleep yesterday after finishing your homework. You looked so peaceful and it seemed like you were really tired, so I decided not to wake you up. I also didn't want you to spend the night sleeping on the couch, so I brought you back into your room. Then, I finished the cookies._

I stopped for a moment. HE FINISHED MY COOKIES?

_Anyways, I left after that. I hope you're feeling better. I'll be waiting outside my house to walk to school with you tomorrow morning (as usual.)_

_ Heiji_

_PS: You got number fourteen wrong in your Biology homework._

**YAAY! An extra long chapter! So Heiji does have his sweet moments. But don't worry... the story has just started. This is very, very anticlimatic.**

**Review? :]**


	6. Chapter 6

**Recap:**

When I woke up in the morning, I realized that I was back in my bed. For a second, I was confused. Was everything that happened just a dream?

Then, I saw that although I was tucked into the blankets, I was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. And next to me on the nightstand was a note.

_Kazuha:_

_ You fell asleep yesterday after finishing your homework. You looked so peaceful and it seemed like you were really tired, so I decided not to wake you up. I also didn't want you to spend the night sleeping on the couch, so I brought you back into your room. Then, I finished the cookies._

I stopped for a moment. HE FINISHED MY COOKIES?

_Anyways, I left after that. I hope you're feeling better. I'll be waiting outside my house to walk to school with you tomorrow morning (as usual.)_

_ Heiji_

_PS: You got number fourteen wrong in your Biology homework._

**Now on with the story!**

I read the note over again. _I brought you back into your room. _Does that mean he carried me into my room? I could feel my cheeks automatically flush at the thought. Of me sleeping peacefully on the couch, with my homework scattered around me. Of Heiji gently gathering me into his arms- OH MY GOSH. WHAT AM I THINKING? Heiji is my best friend! And that's all that it was.

Yet, I couldn't help smiling when I finished reading the letter (even if I _was _slightly irked at the fact that he ate my cookies.)

Heiji could be annoying, rude, inconsiderate, mean, stupid, aggravating, frustrating, weird, confusing, immature, embarrassing, difficult, unexpected, crazy, forgetful, irritating, sarcastic, mystery-obsessed, impossible-

Ahem. You get the idea.

But then, there would be moments when he could be really sweet. Like yesterday.

He seemed to sense exactly what to do whenever I was in my deepest, darkest, hour of need. It didn't matter that what he did were simple things. Things like bringing over a textbook or this note. But they never failed to make my day infinitely better.

At those times, everything negative about him flew out the window. And I wouldn't care about the other 99 percent of the time when he would be…

"AHOU, GET YOUR LAZY BUTT OUT OF THE HOUSE! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR CLASS!"

Like that.

You know what? Forget everything I had just thought prior to that. HEIJI IS SUCH A-

"KAZUHA!"

"I'M COMING!" I yelled back. I looked out the window to see Heiji glaring impatiently up at me. I stuck my tongue out before closing the curtains.

What was the big deal? I still had plenty of time- wait, what? It was already SEVEN-FIFTEEN? I did a double take at the alarm clock on my desk. No doubt about it. Kazuha Toyama was officially running late.

Within five minutes, I had brushed my teeth, fixed my hair, thrown on my uniform, grabbed my schoolbag, eaten a bite of toast, packed my lunch, and was walking out the door. I'm pretty sure that I broke some unknown record for getting ready for school. (Did I mention that I had done all that within five minutes? And I had one arm broken!)

Yep, mad skills.

"Finally," Heiji said, rolling his eyes when he saw me. "We have ten minutes before the first bell. And, we'd better run if you want to get there on time."

"You could learn to be more patient, you know?" I told him as we sprinted down the sidewalk. Well, I was mostly the one sprinting. I could tell Heiji was going slower just so I could keep up (now isn't that thoughtful?).

Either that, or he was just being lazy. The second reason seems much more likely.

"And be late for class?" He retorted, dodging a man in business suit. People turned to stare at us. What? They've never seen two high schools dashing madly through the streets of Osaka on the way to school before?

I nimbly jumped over a fallen tree branch. "Fine, but you could have reminded me in a nicer way!"

"What's the fun in that?"

Seriously, Heiji, seriously?

I would have come up with some sort of witty retort, but I was too breathless from running so hard. Running early in the morning wasn't exactly my forte. And having a broken arm didn't exactly help. Not to mention that I was wearing a SKIRT and carrying a heavy book bag.

We passed the park that stood halfway between our houses and the school. I was huffing and puffing (like the wolf from three little pigs), and my face was probably red. Usually things that involved physical fitness were easy for me (you know, aikido training and all that), but it took a lot to keep up with Heiji.

Even when he's jogging.

I narrowed my eyes, and he turned to grin at me effortlessly.

"Nothing like some easy exercise in the morning, right, 'zuha?"

I could have punched him.

By this time, we could see the school, but it was still a good distance away from where we were. Just how far was it anyway? I felt like we had been running miles.

"Hey, is your arm bothering you?" Heiji asked suddenly.

"Not really. It hurts sometimes but mostl-" As I was talking, I saw Heiji's eyes widen in panic. I paused to ask him what was wrong when:

"WATCH OUT!"

I opened my mouth to scream, but the sound died in my mouth, as my breath was tackled out of me.

**And the chapter ends! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and have been keeping up with this story. It means a lot to me. **

**So, what do you think? REVIEW! :]**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry guys for not updating in a while! (blame school.) Anyways, I left you guys off on a cliff hanger, so here's the anxiously awaited next chapter! Drumroll…..**

I heard a _whoosh!_ And then with a sudden, jerking thud, felt my side come in contact with the ground . I gasped, and then braced myself during the few seconds of pain.

Fortunately the sidewalk we were running on was surrounded by grass on both sides. Otherwise I might have ended up with another broken arm (that would've been great, wouldn't it?)

Even though, the impact was still hard enough so that I had to wait a few moments before getting my breath back. I had automatically squeezed my eyes shut on the force of the impact. Now, I opened my eyes tentatively.

And immediately felt my face redden.

Over the course of my life, I've often found myself in many embarrassing and awkward positions. A lot were to the credit of Heiji. This one was definitely near the top of the list.

Picture this. A high school girl lying on the ground, with a high school guy RIGHT ON TOP OF HER pinning her to the ground.

Yeah….awkward.

"HEIJI. WHY DID YOU JUST TACKLE ME TO THE GROUND?"

"Ahou, I just saved your life!"

"By nearly breaking my other arm?" I asked indignantly.

"Noo, because there was a BULLET HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARDS YOU!. Are you alright?" Heiji asked me urgently.

"Wh- yeah I think so. And whaatttt?"

Heiji opened his mouth to reply, but a new voice cut into our conversation.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay? I saw that bullet come flying over here? I already called the police, so- oh, am I interrupting anything?"

Heiji and I nearly flew off the ground. Within a millisecond, we were standing on the grass, a good distance from each other to ensure that we were supporting whatever this person's thought process was referring to.

And there in front of us stood Candy.

I glanced at her perfect hair, falling in a cascade down her backpack. Mine was simply in a ponytail. Her uniform looked fresh and neat and looked like it was made for her. On the other hand, I just been tackled to the ground by my best friend, so you can imagine how my uniform looked.

Sometimes, I wonder if fate hates me and just decided to make my life miserable.

"N-no! You're not interrupting anything at all!" I insisted.

"Yeah, of course not!" Heiji added quickly, his face reddening.

"Oh, I just thought, 'cuz it looked like-"

"It didn't look like anything," Heiji interrupted sharply. "Besides, what are you doing here anyway?"

I was slightly taken aback by Heiji's tone. It was colder and unfriendly; a tone that he usually reserved when he was helping our dads out on murder cases. But really, Heiji! As if Candy could really be a suspect.

Fine, I'll admit. The idea of Candy being the bad guy in a situation was slightly appealing to me. But it was hard to hate her just because she was popular or a million times more pretty than me. And I'm not JEALOUS!

What, you don't believe me? Well, then.

"You said someone was shooting at us?" I asked, remembering what she had said.

"Yes, I was walking to school, like you guys were, when this black car pulled up next to you and then I heard a gunshot!" Candy exclaimed. Her eyes were wide and panicked. Suddenly, she looked around her.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing, I was just looking around to see if the black car was still here. But I think it's gone," she said shakily.

Oddly enough, she seemed to be more frightened than we were, though she hadn't been targeted. But maybe that was just because I was used to situations like these.

"I thought we were the only ones that came to school from this direction," Heiji said suddenly, while glancing at me for confirmation. I shrugged.

"Well, honestly, my house is in the other direction, but I wanted to come by this way to buy some coffee from the café."

"I see," Heiji said. "And you said a black car?"

"Yes, why?"

"Nevermind," Heiji shook his head. Though I could clearly see, that he was bothered by that detail. A black car? What was so special about that?

I am seriously beginning to doubt Heiji's reasoning.

"Well, thanks for calling the police," I said to Candy.

"No problem," she tossed back her hair, and flashed a brilliant smile. "I imagine there's probably going to be police cars and surveillance tape around the school grounds now, since we're so close to the campus."

"Oh, no," Heiji looked at me urgently.

"What?" I jerked my head up.

"School. What time is it?"

"Um… 7:29. Why?"

"KAZUHA WE HAVE TO BE AT SCHOOL IN ONE MINUTE!" Heiji shouted, while grabbing my arm and making a mad dash for the front gates of the school.

"OH MY GOSH. MY BIOLOGY TEST!" All of my long hours of studying last night flashed before me.

"HURRY UP KAZUHA!"

"I'M COMING YOU AHOU!"

We were off and sprinting across the grass once again. Wow, my legs were really getting a workout this morning. I turned my head back to see if Candy was following.

She wasn't.

Instead, she was standing where we had left her, with her mouth agape, wondering how on earth two high schoolers could be worrying about being late to school when they had just been the target of a shooting.

Well, we weren't your typical high schoolers.

Right now, the only thing on my mind, was getting to my desk before that stupid bell rang. Don't ring yet, don't ring yet.

I looked at my watch as we entered the school. We had ten seconds.

Turning, the corner, I could see the long hall that stretched between us and our final destination: the classroom.

Eight seconds.

We were dashing through the hallway.

Five seconds.

Heiji threw open the door to the classroom.

Three seconds.

Heiji leaped over a desk and I pulled my chair back.

One second…

_Brrriinnngg!_

We slid into our chairs, and looked up calmly as sensei walked in the door.

Heiji and I exchanged glances. He was breathing hard, but I could see that he was laughing at the same time. I smiled back and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now, we will begin our Biology test."

Oh, joy.

**So… like it? Hate it? I know it's not that dramatic (yet.) I'll try my best to update more often. It's all of your reviews that keep me going! In other words: REVIEW please! :]**


	8. Chapter 8

**I KNOW IT'S BEEN FOREVER SINCE I'VE UPDATED. (why am I typing in all caps?) But anyways, I apologize for my lack of consistency in updating, but I really hope you stay with this story!**

Sighing ruefully, I bubbled in the last multiple choice questions, and turned the paper over. The test had been surprisingly easy (thank you very much, Heiji's textbook), but of course, there were always a few questions that served as pitfall traps, just waiting for me to fall in them and have my day ruined.

Not that my day had been going that great in the first place.

I know what you're thinking. "Not great" is usually not the typical way to describe one's day when one has been SHOT AT by some unidentified person. The usual words that go along with that situation include but are not limited to:

Terrible

Worst-day-of-my-life

Heart-stopping

WHY IS SOMEONE TRYING TO KILL ME?

Frightening

*(*NI$#E23I&$

Disastrous

Horrible

You get the idea…

Then again, what happened this morning had been fairly normal compared to some of the life-threatening situations I had been in over the course of my lifetime. It was just last week, when Heiji and I had gotten into a particularly heated argument over my safety. Which was stupid, since I am a pretty good at akido (if I may say so myself) and

Heiji was just being annoyingly paranoid…

"_Where are you going?"_

"_On another case with Kudo. He needs me for something."_

"_I'm coming with you!"_

"_NO YOU'RE NOT."_

"_Why? Heiji!"_

"_Because it's too dangerous…"_

"_Well, then why are you going?"_

"_Cause Kudo asked me to go! And I can take care of myself!"  
>"Well I can take care of myself too! Stop being an ahou!"<em>

"_You're the ahou! YOU CAN'T GO."_

"_I'M GOING!"_

"_NO, YOU'RE NOT. Kazuha, you are staying right here!"_

"_It's not too dangerous for me!"_

"_Yes, it is. You could get injured, or shot, or die! And there's people here that care too much about you for you to die."_

"_You're being too paranoid! And my dad is just one person!"_

"_I WASN'T JUST REFERRING TO YOU R DAD, AHOU!"_

"_WELL WHO WERE YOU REFERRING TO?"_

"_I- FORGET IT! Just go away. You can't come."_

Why didn't he want me go with him? He knows that I'm perfectly capable of defending myself. If anything, HE was the one that is worrying. How many times has he showed up at my front door after one of his criminal-tracking days, injured and exhausted? At least fifteen times if I remember correctly, and that was at least fifteen times too many.

The bell rang and I quickly packed my folder and books away into my bag before rushing out into the hallway to join the mad crowd of students fighting to leave the dreaded place they know as school.

BANG!

I nearly fell as I jerked backward, just in time to miss the locker door. I felt my nose appreciatively. A second late, and I might have ended up noseless.

"Hey! Watch i-" I began to give the person a good piece of my mind (cuz really, I would love to explain to the hospital on my second visit there that my nose had been cut off by a locker door.)

"OH MY GOSH. KAZUHA! I didn't see you there! I'm really, really sorry!" Candy exclaimed loudly as she stood next to the deadly locker door, with her hands held to her face in shock.

"Oh… well, it's okay, I guess. I'm fine," I said, slightly taken aback by how much she had reacted. And she was being genuinely apologetic, so I didn't have the heart to unleash my fury. Besides, no harm done, right?

"I still can't over why anyone would want to shoot at you?" she said to me in a hushed tone. "But no one seemed to have reported anything, and I didn't know if I was supposed to _tell _someone, you know?"

"Um, it's okay, I mean it's not like me or Heiji actually got shot, so it might have just been a mistake. But thanks, anyway," I managed a smile and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"I guess you're right," she said, smiling brilliantly, and making my own awkward smile look incredibly hideous. By comparison, she was as pretty and perfect as well, a princess. And me? Try a hippo. With mud splattered on her butt (remember, Heiji tackled me onto the grass? I think I forgot to mention that it was muddy…). And hair that never seemed to be nice enough to let down. AND her arm in a cast.

And now I'm just being depressing…

Think happy thoughts, Kazuha, think happy thoughts.

"Anyways, want to come with me to get something to eat afterschool? Most of my friends are hanging out at the mall, but I'm not really in the mood," she said offhandedly. "And I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to you all that much."

It took me a while to process what she had just said, and then realize that she was being entirely 100 percent genuine about the whole situation.

"I think that would great," I said, appreciatively. "But, let me ask Heiji first, cuz we usually walk home together afterschool."

"Ask me what?"

I whirled around to find myself inches away from the oh-so-familiar face of Hattori Heiji.

"Ask you if I can go with Candy to get something to eat afterschool. Since we usually walk home together, I didn't want to just leave you without a reason."

Heiji was quiet for a moment. Candy and I waited expectantly.

"No."

"I-wait, what?" I looked at Heiji again curiously, wondering if my ears had become defective in the last minute. "Did you just say 'no'?"

"Yes."

"Wait, so you're saying yes?"

"No!"

"MAKE UP YOUR MIND HEIJI." I planted my hands on my hips.

"AHOU! I'm saying that yes, I did say no to you going to eat with Candy."

"But Heiji, I-"

"Look, it's hard to explain, Kazuha," Heiji said, resignedly. He took me by the arm and led me away from Candy.

"Um, I guess I'll talk to you guys later…?" She called somewhat unsurely. (It must've been quite an awkward situation. Thanks to a certain someone, cough cough Heiji.)

I smiled and waved back, but Heiji just nodded slightly in her direction.

"That was downright rude of you!" I scolded, once we were out of earshot.

"I have my reasons, okay?" Heiji said, refusing to look at me, and continuing to pull me by the arm.

"Oh, and what are those?"

"Like I said, it's hard to explain. I'll tell you some other time. But you have to trust me, okay?"

"You know that I trust you," I said softly. Heiji didn't reply, though I knew he had heard me. "But don't you think you're being a little paranoid?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I think I'm being perfectly reasonable."

"Yes, because not letting me eat afterschool with a normal and nice fellow high school student is NOT paranoid whatsoever," I responded, rolling my eyes. (That was sarcasm in case you didn't catch that.)

"You're missing the point."

"WHAT POINT?" I exclaimed exasperated.

"Oops, class starts in ten seconds, better hurry!" Heiji said, grinning at me suddenly and taking off running towards his next class.

"RUNNING AWAY DOESN'T SOLVE ANYTHING!" I yelled after him. Several students behind me looked at me as if I had suddenly lost my mind, but I shrugged it off.

Hmm.. fortunately Heiji had left me right in front of my next class. It would've been nice to think that he had done this on purpose, but my logical side knew that it was probably just my chance. Heiji wouldn't go so far to make my life easier for me. Especially with that whole incident that just happened a few minutes ago.

But, even though I was supposed to be mad at him, I couldn't keep a smile off my face. What was wrong with me? Just arguing with him, had somehow put me in a better mood.

Why couldn't life be normal for me? Is that too much to ask?

I shook my head slightly. Deep down, I knew. I was lying to myself.

Because, I know for a fact, that with Heiji, my life would never be normal.

And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want it any other way.

**Awww.. Kazuha ^.^ The argument between those two is somewhat based on an argument I had with my friend (and no I don't like him.) But anyways, review, por favor?**


	9. Chapter 9

After the last class ended (FINALLY), I went outside to find Heiji waiting expectantly by the door.

"Guess whaatt?" he said in a sing-song voice when he saw me.

I looked at him. He was grinning light-heartedly.

That meant either one of two things: Choice Number One- Bad news for me, but not seriously bad that I might be in danger, but bad enough that it was funny to Heiji, therefore making him laugh. Choice Number Two- Good news.

Hmm… as much as I wanted to believe that it was choice number two, I had to first take into perspective my luck over the past forty-eight hours. Do we need a recap?

Broken Arm? Check.

Broken Prized Possession? Check.

Woke up late? Check.

Imminent Death? Check.

Second instance of imminent death (well, not really death, but having your nose sliced off by a locker door is not walk in the park)? Check.

So, I went with my pessimistic side, and braced myself for the worst.

"What?" I asked Heiji, who was still grinning like Totoro.

"You got…" Heiji paused for dramatic silence.

I waited.

And waited.

And…. Waited.

"HEIJI IF YOU DON'T TELL ME I'M GOING TO SMACK YOU!"

"Fine, ruin the moment," Heiji sighed, rolling his eyes. "But, anyways, ready?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure," I said flatly.

"Positively sure?" Heiji asked, continuing to stall, simply to annoy me. I gave him a don't-think-I'm-kidding-about-going-all-violent-just-because-I'm-your-friend- look.

He smirked.

I was just about ready to smack him.

"Okay, here it is," Heiji said, taking a piece of paper out of his bag and waving it in the air with a flourish. He took a deep breath. "YOU GOT A HUNDRED PERCENT ON YOUR BIO TEST!"

"I WHAATT?" I jumped up and down. "REALLY? DON'T LIE TO ME!"

"Okay, I'm slightly hurt that you would think that I'm lying to you about this," Heiji teased. "But, here's your paper for proof. I stopped by Sensei's classroom and picked it up."

He held the paper up above his head, daring me to jump for it.

"Oh, come on, Heiji!" I whined. "Don't you think that's the least bit cruel? Making someone with a BROKEN ARM jump for her test?"

"Nope."

Well, now what? I stood on the ground, looking hopelessly up at my test paper and mentally cursing Heiji for being so gosh-darn tall.

"Come on," Heiji coaxed, as if he was talking to a puppy. "Jump for the test, come on, girl."

"HEIJI!" I slapped him on the shoulder with my good arm (obviously, not too hard, but enough to let him know that I was SERIOUSLY annoyed.)

"People these days," Heiji said, with a dramatic sigh. He obligingly lowered his arm.

I took it from him and scanned the paper, to make sure he really was telling the truth (not that I don't trust him, but with all of my luck, this was a little bit too good to be true.)

In the top, right corner of the paper, a bold, red 100% was written and circled. As if to emphasize this, Sensei had also drawn a happy face.

"AHHH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" I flung my arms around Heiji.

"HA! What did I tell you? You guys _are _like a married couple!" One of Heiji's friends suddenly appeared next to us.

I recognized him to be the Unidentified Guy (remember, from Chapter One?) that had been teasing us yesterday.

I instantly took a step back from Heiji. We both looked at Unidentified Guy.

"You have three seconds," Heiji said, his voice dangerously calm, "before Kazuha and I go kamikaze on you."

"One…."

"Um…hehe, Heiji, you know I was just joking right? Come on, man!" Unidentified Guy backed away slowly.

"Two…"

At two, Unidentified Guy decided that it was fight or flight. Guess which one he chose?

FIGHT.

Just kidding.

Haha, did you actually believe me?

Did I mention that Heiji had insane skills with kento?

Well, anyways, he fled down the hallway like a chicken running away from a farmer with an axe, ready to chop its head off and turn it into dinner.

Wonderful, isn't it?

Within moments, he had disappeared around the corner, and I was left standing with Heiji again.

"And three," Heiji finished, with a satisfied and smug expression.

"Good bluffing," I commented.

"I was not bluffing," Heiji scoffed. We began walking out of the school building. I still had my biology test clutched in my hands and was practically skipping.

Okay, before continuing, I would like to say that I am absolutely NOT a nerdy (well, not an entirely nerdy) girl that only cared about grades and test scores. Sure, I would flip out if I failed a test, but my entire schedule does not just consist of studying.

Just thought I would make that clear.

And besides, considering everything that had gone on, this 100% was probably the highlight of the week.

"Someone's happy today," Heiji remarked.

"Nooo," I said sarcastically. "Can't you tell?"

"And who do you owe that 100% to?"

"I believe I already said thank you AND hugged you for helping me," I said nudging him slightly in the ribs.

"Just a thank you would've been okay," Heiji said, sounding just a little embarrassed. And it might have just been my imagination, but I thought I saw him blushing EVERY SO SLIGHTLY. Though, it could've just been the light and some weird effect with his dark skin.

After all, why on earth would he be embarrassed?

"So, now what?" I asked, changing the subject.

"We go to my house, eat, and then do homework?"

"Like usual?"

"Yep," Heiji said. He casually slung his bag over his shoulder as he walked next to me.

"Fine by me."

We walked past the place where the bullet had been fired. But you could hardly tell that there had been anything remotely close to violence that had happened. Elementary school children and parents were scattered around the grassy field, and the sun was shining brightly in the spring air.

It was probably just a mistake. I shrugged off any thoughts of paranoia that I might have had.

"So," I said conversationally.

Heiji looked at me.

"What?"

"I finally got the same score as you on a biology test!"

"Wellll, not quite," Heiji said, smirking.

"What do you mean?" I demanded. "I got a hundred percent! You can't possibly have gotten a higher score!"

"Well, you got a hundred percent because one of the questions was taken from the wrong chapter, meaning we hadn't learned it yet. So Sensei took the question of the test. But, I still got that one correct, so he just turned that point into extra credit for me."

I listened in disbelief.

"WHAT?"

"Sorry, Kazuha," Heiji shrugged his shoulders in a way that said he was not sorry at all. "But you still haven't beaten me."

I was quiet. Really, Heiji, really? Extra credit? Since when was that an option? Oh, right, it's an option the one time I get a 100%. Because life's just amazingly fair to me like that.

"You, you NERD!" I burst out.

"Nerd? I think a better term would be genius, or prodigy."

I glared at him.

"Face it, Kazuha," Heiji said with a smirk. "I'm just that awesome and smart."

"Oh, please."

"So you're not denying it?"

"OF COURSE I'M DENYING IT."

"Denying what?"

And now he was just trying to provoke me. To be entirely honest, I think 90% of all of our conversations are some sort of an argument.

How would I describe my emotions right now?  
>One word.<p>

Nine letters.

asdfghijkl

**Writing this chapter, I realize that I DO argue with my friend A LOT… XD And HUZZAH! I actually updated somewhat quickly. Anyways, do you think I should come up with a name for Unidentified Guy? Hmm… :]**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, first I apologize that in the last chapter, I put "asdfghijkl" instead of "asdfghjkl". I don't know what I was thinking . Second, I'm sorry for not updating very often! But please stay with my story! **

"So, are we going home now?" I asked as we continued to walk by the park.

"You really don't remember, do you?" Heiji sighed.

"Remember what?" I quickly ran through a checklist in my mind. I wasn't forgetting anything, was I? Dad's birthday? No. Heiji's birthday? No. Date? OBVIOUSLY NOT.

What on earth was Heiji talking about?

"The school's having this track meet, and all the athletes from different sports have to attend for school support or something like that."

I stared at Heiji.

And then wondered if I was suffering from short-term memory or something. BECAUSE HOW COULD I FORGET THAT?

"Oh my gosh, I totally forgot about that!"

Before you go all, "wow, Kazuha, how could you forget something as important as that? You must have the mind of a goldfish," please remember that I'm still just as young girl.

With a broken arm.

And was shot at this morning.

Yeah, that's right. I'M PLAYING THE GUILT CARD.

Though of course, that will never work on Heiji.

"Wait, if we have to go the track, then why are we walking home?" I asked.

"We aren't," Heiji said exasperated. "I just wanted to take a look at where the bullet was fired and see if I can figure something out."

"Oh."

I sat down on the grass and waited patiently (okay, maybe not patiently, but I didn't yell at him to hurry up more than twice. That's pretty good for me.)

Heiji walked back to me and pulled me back onto my feet.

"Come on, let's go back to school."

"Did you find anything important?" I asked.

He shrugged. He had this tendency to be super vague in his responses. Though I'm pretty sure he just did that to annoy the heck out of people. And by people, I mean me.

"That's not helpful," I scowled.

"Obviously, that's why I did that," he half-smiled.

I glared at him.

"Hey, don't forget, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even known that we're supposed to go to that track meet today," he said, reminding me yet again of my great failure of the day.

"I DID know. I just forgot about it…"

"Shame," Heiji said, shaking his head at me. "Well, at least you have me as a friend to remind you of things like that."

"Right, I'm so lucky to have a detective nerd as a friend," I scoffed.

"You couldn't be more sarcastic," Heiji said, rolling his eyes.

"But," I paused, realizing that I was being A LITTLE mean to Heiji. After all, he had saved me from being humiliated by the instructor for missing the track meet. "thanks." I didn't really know what else to say.

"For…?" Heiji raised an eyebrow.

"For making sure I attended the track meet like I was supposed to when I wanted to go with Candy after school," I said, looking down at my feet.

"Look, Kazuha, I-"

"ALL ATHLETES PLEASE REPORT TO THE TRACK AND FIELD STANDS. I REPEAT, ALL ATHELTES PLESE REPORT TO THE TRACK AND FIELD STANDS."

I jumped slightly as at the announcement. Good thing the park was close to the school and track.

Not like it mattered, because we still had to figure out how to get there before our instructors took role.

"Come on!" Heiji said, beginning to run for the THIRD TIME TODAY.

"Ugh, really? HEIJI, SLOW DOWN!" I exclaimed. My bag felt ten times heavier as I tried to keep up with Heiji's long strides. I was really getting a good workout today. And did Heiji slow down his pace so I could keep up with him?

Of course he did. NOT.

Because he's just super nice like that.

"HEIJI! GIRL WITH A BROKEN ARM HERE, HELLO?"

"Don't be a slowpoke," he called. But he stopped briefly, and it was only when I was about a meter or so of reaching him that he began running again.

"WHY IS IT SO HOT?" I complained. Come on, March, what happened to spring weather? And by spring weather, I prefer below 80 degrees Fahrenheit; sunny with a slight breeze.

Heiji and I were sitting under a tree that had been conveniently planted on a grassy field just outside of the track. Even in the shade, I felt like an overcooked chicken (okay, you could pretty much substitute chicken in for any kind of food that suits your fancy. Hurray for choices!)

I heard a loud yawn next to me and grinned when I saw Heiji rub his eyes sleepily.

"Tired?" I asked.

"Sort of," he shrugged. But then he yawned again. "Okay, I am tired," he agreed, smiling slightly.

I laughed at him (not in a mean way.. you know what I mean).

"Kazuha!"

My head jerked up at the mention of my name. Now, who could that be? I began scanning the area around me. Okay, don't know that person, nope, nope, oh, wait, I think I know who that is. Oh, and she's waving at me. I don't know about you, but she seems like a likely person to have called my name.

I recognized her as Kanako's mom. She was one of my best friends (aside from Heiji, of course) and since she was on the track and field team, it made sense that her mom would be there to support her.

She motioned for me to walk over to her. Somewhat curious, I made my way across the crowded walkway that separated the grass field and the track.

"Hi, Mrs. Sato," I said, smiling.

"Hello, Kazuha, how are you? Kanako is so happy that you could be here to cheer her on, and honestly, I have absolutely NO clue on how this whole track system works. And it's so hot today, isn't it? It's at times like these that I wish spring was colder, though of course, it would be awful if the runners had to compete in the rain-"

She was one of those woman that talked ON and ON, but she meant well, and she had always been extremely nice to me. At times, I actually liked hearing her talk. She had a smooth voice that made her easy to listen to.

Okay, and now I'm going off topic and beginning to sound like her.

Moving on.

"I'm doing really good, Mrs. Sato," I said. "But, did you want something?"

"Oh! I almost forgot to give it to you," she laughed. "Since I'm going to be sitting in the stands, I have this blanket that I brought that I have absolutely no use for right now. And since your friend over there," she gestured to Heiji, "looks like he's going to pass out, I thought you could borrow my blanket to lie down on. And, of course, you need lots of rest, too, especially with your broken arm."

"Ohh, you don't have to," I started.  
>"Please, I INSIST that you take the blanket. Otherwise, it's just dead weight on me."<p>

"Well, okay, then, thank you so much!" I took the blanket, and began walking back to where Heiji was slowly nodding off.

He opened his eyes, and looked up at me when I got back to him.

"What do you have there?"

"A blanket for me to lie down on," I said simply.

"For YOU to lie down on," he asked.

"Yep," I grinned.

"Kazuha…" Heiji crossed his arms.

"FINNNEE WE CAN BOTH LAY DOWN ON IT. You happy now?"

"Yes," he smirked.

I made a face at him and then rolled out the blanket. Heiji promptly laid on his back with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. I used my school bag as a pillow and laid down next to him (not too close, duh).

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Heiji lying still. How like him to fall asleep so easily.

I closed my eyes briefly, then opened them again to look up a the brilliant blue sky and overhanging tree branches. Breathing deeply, I felt myself relax. Everything felt so quiet and peaceful.

It's not a very exciting moment, but for some reason, I couldn't keep a small smile off my face. Maybe it's the fact that this was one of the few times where we weren't arguing (it's actually kind of sad to think that something as simple as not arguing was a good improvement in our friendship.)

But, as I'm lying here and thinking things over, I've come to a weird, yet truthful conclusion.

In spite of the agonizingly hot weather, the roaring cheers, and the startling sound of the starting gun going off, I would much rather choose to be here with Heiji than be doing anything else right now.

**I know this scene is a little random… but I wanted to incorporate a bit of my life into this story. And I thought it would be nice for Kazuha to go through a more happy moment (since you know, I've been kind of mean to her, with the broken arm and all that.) So… hope you enjoyed this (even though it's kind of a short chapter) and have a nice day~ :]**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for not updating or anything in a LOONNGG time. (guiltily hides behind chair.) I hadn't had any inspiration for this story… but then I had a MAJOR idea for the story while playing piano. So… I'm baaccckk Hope you guys don't lose faith in me… and just bear with me, okay? Love you all.**

Things between us went relatively smoothly (well as smoothly as it can go for us) for the rest of the week. And by smoothly I mean:

-at least ten instances of shouting matches consisting singly of the word "ahou"

-five threats of violence

-three actual punches (done by yours truly)

-fifteen Heiji smirks

-eight escalated arguments that ended when another idiot student made a "married couple" reference. (People really need to know how to take a hint.)

On the following Monday, Heiji decided to ditch school to help his father with some mysterious case that no one on the police force seemed to be able to solve. So, like the loner I was, I was forced to walk the streets of Osaka to school all by myself. Despite the cars that were honking, the constant chatter of passing people, and the shouts of elementary school students, it seemed incredibly quiet.

Until…

"KAZUHAA!"

What in the worl—

And then my brain finally processed the voice and I realized (not sure if I was relieved or annoyed) that it was Candy who was calling me.

I turned around and watched her skip lightly between people, her footsteps barely touching the floor and her hair bouncing off her shoulders. I thought back to the other day when Heji and I were forced to dash madly through the crowd on our way to school. I doubt I looked as graceful as Candy was right now. Inside, I felt my stomach twist ever so silent. But for what reason? She was being perfectly friendly. Maybe Heiji's paranoia was getting to me.

"Hey!" I called back, waving.

She bounded up next to me, breathing slightly rushed. Running had given her cheeks rosy, pink glow, and in that moment, I felt as insignificant and inferior as an ant on the bare cement ground.

"So, did you need anything?" I asked somewhat tentatively.

Candy laughed. "No, why would I need a reason to walk to talk to someone?"

"Well, it's not like we've ever really talked that much before…?" I ended the sentence in a raised voice, trying not to sound rude. But it was the truth. Why would she want to talk to me? Aside from that one time when she had tried to go eat lunch or something together (and then was interrupted but some idiot, cough cough Heiji.)

"Yeah, well you seem really nice and all, and I don't know, you just seem a lot more honest and real than most of the people that keep on trying to be my friend," she shrugged.

"Uh… really?"

"Mhmm," Candy nodded. "Like I think a lot of people are just trying to be my friend cuz Daddy owns that big oil company. So I guess to put it bluntly, I'm rich. And people try to take advantage of that. They always try to invite themselves over to our mansion and then when they do, they just want to eat food that our butler makes or go shopping but then accidentally forget their money so I end up paying." She rolled her eyes.

I blinked. If only this was all I had to worry about in life.

Still, I'm not a mean person. And as much as it irked me how there were rumors about Candy wanting to go out with Heiji, she hadn't given me any indication of that. And I knew how lonely it could be sometimes without a friend.

Apart from Heiji, I did have good friends, but it wasn't the same connection and friendship that Heiji and I had. As much as we did argue and tease and threaten each other, he was my best friend. And when we wasn't around, I always felt that pang of loneliness and insecurity inside that could only be eased when he rang my doorbell the moment he got back.

"So, I take it that Heiji isn't here today?" Candy asked cautiously.

"Yeah, he went to go help with this case that his father was working on," I said. "You don't have to worry about him making decisions for me or anything."

"Oh," Candy laughed. "Does he always do that?"

I shrugged. "He's always been really overprotective and everything. But I don't know why he wouldn't let me go eat lunch with you. He's just such an ahou sometimes."

"Okay, well I better head over to class now. We should go eat after school though like I asked last time. Hopefully, Heiji won't be around to say no or anything. Unless you don't want to…" she trailed off.

Well, why not? Heiji was off having a ball at his case. He's probably already at the deducing part, with the newspaper photographers and reporters all lined up around him to get his name in the headlines the next morning. He wouldn't care anyway.

"Sure," I grinned. "I'll see you there."

The feeling in my gut didn't go away by the time I had sat down to eat with Candy. If anything, it got worse.

Talking with her wasn't awkward or anything at first. But then, the conversation shifted from basic talking about school to…

Heiji.

FOR THE RECORD, I WASN'T THE ONE TO BRING HIM UP.

I was telling her how I had done akido for a while, when I noticed that she had kind of zoned out. Rude, much…

"Hey, uh," I snapped my fingers a little bit. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Candy looked up with a start.

"You were kind of zoning out a bit," I said, laughing a little.

"Oh… uh, well, there's actually sort of been a reason why I wanted to ask you to eat with me today."

The feeling in my gut got worse.

"Like, I know you're a really good friend of Heiji's…" she began.

Oh no. No no no no NO. This could not be happening. She did not just try to become my "friend" for a day just to get close to Heiji. This stuff only happened in movies and TV shows and do girls really act like this? I didn't say anything though.

"So, like, I," she paused, her face reddening. "I really like him. Like really REALLY like him. You know?"

When I didn't say anything, she went on.

"So, I was wondering, if you could like be my wing-women in a way? I was talking to people, and he doesn't really seem interested in anyone at school. And I know that if he ever just gets the chance to talk to me or hang out with me, I'll have him."

Cocky much?

I stared at her. "So this morning, all that you were saying, about being rich and having friends that tried to get close to you cuz of that, was all so I could feel sorry for you, become your friend for a day, so you could get me to eat with you and have this conversation?"

"Well, if you put it that way," she stopped. "I mean, I am rich, and well, I needed a reason to get you to come talk to me. And it's not like school would do for this kind of conversation…"

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Well, whatever," Candy said, rolling her eyes, all sweetness suddenly disappearing from her tone and face. "What do you say?"

"And before you make your decision, should I remind you that you're just his childhood best friend. I've seen the way you guys act. And as much as people might make fun of you two for being like a 'married couple', honestly, you don't have a chance with him. Haven't you heard of this thing called friendzoning?"

I still didn't say anything. By this moment, my gut feeling felt like it was throbbing in my stomach, unleashing acids that burned through and just made me feel like punching her in the face.

"Well?" she crossed her arms.

"Um," I didn't know what to say. Inside, my mind was completely jumbled up, a bunch of phrases and memories trying to connect, for some odd reason. "I'll tell you tomorrow," I said, before pushing my chair back and practically running out of the café. I ignored the stares of the customers, and shoved the door open, running out into the street and then onto the street that led to my house.

I suppose the only reason I had agreed to be "friends" with Candy was because it offered me the smallest glimmer of hope that I wasn't as inferior to her as I thought I was. Maybe, I would gain a small bit of her grace and perfection or at least her attractiveness to the male race. Not that I wanted to have doting admirers, it's just, that I've never felt that I was pretty.

After all, what sort of girl spends her time beating people up in akido? Not to mention that I usually had my hair tied up whereas most girls let it down. Or how my best friend WAS A GUY.

Maybe Candy was right.

I thought back to what she had said. People don't just SAY THAT. And it's not like I LIKE Heiji THAT WAY.

I absolutely don't.

Why would I?

Or I was just finding an excuse to not get my hopes up high since I knew I didn't have a chance. Heiji, despite how annoying and rude he could be, wasn't bad looking. He certainly wasn't dumb. And I've seen how girls will ogle at him in the hallways. He didn't seem to care though.

I didn't care either. Or did I? I swallowed uneasily. Did best friends really worry that much for each other? Did they always feel so alone when they didn't have the other next to them? Did they really always get that unexplainable feeling of happiness (pardon the cliché moment) when they're together?

And am I the only one that felt that way?

But there was something inside me that could just give it up.

No matter how selfish I was being at the moment, and no matter if he would never see me in that way, and I don't even what my feelings are at the moment. I was still so confused about everything.

I didn't want to let him go.


	12. Chapter 12

Somehow, I managed to make it to my house without punching a lamp post or store window. My dad was with the rest of the police force (and Heiji) on that case, and once again, I realized how quiet life was at the moment.

Well, how quiet _real _life was at the moment. My mind certainly was not being quiet. Instead, it kept on replaying Candy's words over and over and OVER again. Like she had seized control of my mind and wouldn't let it drift to less aggravating memories.

Plopping down on the couch, I grabbed the nearest and pillow and buried my face in it. But I didn't feel like crying into the pillow, or screaming profanities into it. I just, felt too many emotions circulating through my brain, and I wanted so badly to just fall asleep and forget about it all.

_Honestly, you don't have a chance with him. Haven't you heard of this thing called friendzoning?_

She didn't need to say ANY of that. All of these thoughts had already occurred to me years ago. I don't even know when I started wondering about things like that. It had begun so gradually, and I wasn't even sure WHAT I was feeling. I'm still not really sure now. I used to tell myself before that Heiji was like a brother to me. It would explain why I was so overprotective and I did love him. But only in that way.

And then I started to realize that it was more than that. And halfway through middle school, I knew that I liked him. Just a little bit though. Slightly more than a friend, but I knew that he didn't like me back. A person that liked you back didn't call you an ahou every second of the day.

So I just buried the thought in the back of my mind. But then, high school started, and all of those past feelings just came surging back. And then now, after realizing how much I couldn't bear to see Heiji with Candy or anyone else…

I definitely liked him.

"UGHHH" I groaned into the pillow. "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SO COMPLICATED?"

Throughout the rest of the day, I tried to busy to myself with homework and studying. And then drastic times called for drastic measures, and by six at night I was marching over to the closet and grabbing a broom. I cleaned the house, willing myself to not think about… well, you know who.

I swear the house had never looked so clean. I kept glancing at the clock. But by eleven at night, there was still no door knock or ringing of the bell. Dad usually always got back later than Heiji, because he'd go out with the other officers to celebrate. But Heiji always came back to me.

And I knew Heiji hadn't simply just gone home without telling me. He'd never do that. Every single time, he'd always show up at my doorstep first. And I never admitted it, but those moments when he was tired and weak, but still made the decision to come see me, those moments stayed in my heart and mind long after he left.

He'd be too tired to talk, so those were also the few times when we didn't argue, and he'd just sit on the couch drinking soup or just sleeping. Occasionally, I'd let him lay his head on my lap, and he didn't care. I definitely didn't care. And I could just sit there and study his face and smooth his hair, letting him rest after having to work so hard.

But then he'd have to leave and the next day, we were back to our usual, bickering routine.

I guess those times together though, kept up that tiny flicker of hope that Candy's words could never extinguish.

And… oh, crap, I was thinking about Heiji again.

Eventually, when the clock struck midnight, I just climbed into bed and went to sleep.

I woke up the next morning, when I heard my cellphone vibrating on the nightstand. Could it be?

Shoving the covers back and leaping out of the bed with as much grace as Candy, I grabbed the phone and sat down on the ground. Flipping open the cover, I checked the name.

And sighed.

"Hey, dad," I answered, trying to muster some fake ounce of happiness into my voice.

"Hey, sweetie, so, um, the case is taking a bit longer than I would've though. So I might not be able to come home for a while. I'm calling you from the hotel we're staying at, and well, if you don't want to stay home alone, I could always just come back. There's more than enough police officers here, but it's really up to you."

As much as I HATED being home alone (especially without Heiji next door), I wasn't so selfish as to keep my dad with me. There was a murder investigation going on, for goodness sakes.

"Nah, it's okay, Dad," I said, putting on a smile so that he could hear it through the phone. "You do your job, don't worry about me, okay?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, honestly, I'm seventeen now, you don't have to worry about me!"

"Okay, that's my girl," I could hear the warmth in his voice to make up for not being able to come home. I knew he had a lot of guilt going on, what with Mom and everything, he knew that it was hard on me.

"Okay, bye, Dad, love you," I said.

"Love you, too." I heard the receiver click on the other end of the line.

While my dad not being able to come home didn't bother me too much, what did bother me was the fact that if he was going to be detained, Heiji would be detained as well.

This day already felt so incredibly long without him here, how was I going to cope with a few more days?

It almost felt like I was sleepwalking through the next few days. I went through the motions of sleeping and waking up and going to school, but for some reason, everything seemed so devoid of meaning. Fortunately, since Heiji hadn't been at school, Candy had also stopped bothering me. But I would've been happy to put up with her if Heiji was only around. Though I still hadn't gotten back to her on her "request" some days ago. I suppose she felt that it wouldn't matter since Heiji wasn't here to fulfill any of her wishes.

It's only been four days without talking to Heiji, and for some reason, it seemed like an eternity. I didn't think that life would seem so… lifeless without him.

Still, there was nothing I could do. He was off, being a hero, solving a case, and here I was… curled up on the sofa, utterly useless as I stared at my calculus homework.

I had gone to the doctor's yesterday after school, taking the bus by myself, careful to avoid the jostling of the other passengers.

The doctor seemed extremely pleased with how well my arm was healing, and had been willing to take my arm out of the thick cast and wrap it in gauze before sending me off with well wishes.

It was Friday again. And that stupid ahou still wasn't back yet.

Just how long was this case taking anyway?

And then that paranoid, unreasonable, slap-deserving side of me began jumping to conclusions a mile a minute.

A million "what if"s invaded my brain. And as much as I tried gather the reigns of my brain and focus is on math, it was stubbornly disobeying me.

What if something had gone wrong on the investigation?

What if Heiji HAD figured it out and was tracking the criminal?

What if the criminal was armed?

What if Heiji was being stupid? (Actually, that's kind of a rhetorical question, since the answer has been and will always be yes.)

What if he gets shot?

What if he becomes unconscious?

What if he gets kidnapped?

WHAT. IF. HE DIES.

Or worse…

What if aliens come and abduct him?

Okay so that last question wasn't entirely serious. I was just trying to be my own comic relief. But that question before that. What if he died… before I've gotten the chance to tell him…

Tell him what?

But at that exact moment, someone _up there _must have taken pity on me (which I mean come on, I kinda deserved some pity after everything that's happened.) Because even though I had frozen on the couch when I heard footsteps outside the door, and then practically thought I was going to have a heart attack when the door slowly opened (like in those horror movies), all of my energy and hope and light (as cliché as that may be) flooded back into me when I heard,

"You really need to change where you keep your house key hidden, ahou."

Was this going to be regular thing now? Heiji showing up at my door at the times when I thought I needed him most?

Ahem, not that I really minded.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?" I exclaimed, jumping off the couch.

"So you missed me?"

I almost stopped in midair at his cheeky response. Heiji, at least the Heiji I've known the past years, would NEVER say that.

"Uh…" I paused. "Who are you and what have you done with Heji?"

He rolled his eyes. "Ahou, I was just kidding."

"Whatever," I muttered. "Anyways, how was the case?"

"It was pretty good. It was kinda of complicated though cuz the guy we initially thought…" he drawled on as he took off his jacket and then promptly plopped down on the couch, rubbing his forehead.

"Wow, seems intense," I said after he'd finished.

"Yeah, but it was worth it. That guy got what he deserved."

I nodded. Then sat back down next to him on the couch. He shifted a little, and I realized that we were sitting EXTREMELY close to each other.

Eep.

"So," Heiji turned to look at me. He was grinning. Not a good sign.

"So?"

"So, what's for dinner?"

SMACK!

"You didn't have to hit me so hard, gosh," Heiji whined after his third bowl of food. "Come one, I just worked so hard on that case, and then I get back, and get SLAPPED. Don't you think that's just a BIT unfair?"

"Not if you only see me as a source of free food," I scoffed.

"Yeah, well, you know that's not true," he said, before proceeding to stand up and deposit the bowl in the sink.

"Sure," I shrugged, not entirely believing him. Though I had to admit, the scene right now, seemed so homey and comfortable. It could be a husband returning home from work and…

AND WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?

"Anyways, I should head home now. Mom's probably going to be super worried if I don't turn up," he said somewhat resignedly.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, thanks for stopping by, you know, how do you always seem to know when to pop up when I need you to?" I joked.

Heiji looked at me. And there wasn't any sort of laughter dancing in his green eyes at the moment. He was serious. Thinking deeply about something…

"I have my ways," he said, smiling suddenly in that way that sent my heartbeat racing for no apparent reason. Stupid heart.

"And because," he went on. Then I became acutely aware that his hand had found his way to my shoulder and was resting on it. And he was leaning… he was so close.

"Because?" I barely whispered. Was this IT?

"Because…" Heiji trailed off. Looking at the door, then back at me. He swallowed. "Because I come when I really need to see you the most."

Oh.

OH.

My heart was going to explode at the rate it was going.

"Uh, I-I…" I stuttered. Inwardly, I slapped myself. WONDERFUL, KAZUHA. JUST GREAT. YOU'RE DOING A MARVELOUS JOB AT THE MOMENT BEING COHERENT.

Suddenly the phone rang, shattering the atmosphere.

I felt like picking it up and chucking it off a cliff. It just HAD to ring right then and there, when something extraordinarily unexplainable was going to happen. I didn't know what really... but I WANTED it to happen.

Heiji face reddened and his hand slipped off my shoulder, as if his normal side had finally caught up to… whatever side of him had been dominating the past few minutes.

"Um, you, ah- you cook good," He said before practically running out the door and down the steps.

Romantic, isn't it?

**Sorry, random Mulan-similarily moment back there. It was on last night.. sooo ahaha. Well, since I fail at my attempt to update regularly, I… actually I'm not sure what I'm going to do (though….. reviews will tend to keep me on track with the story *hint hint*) Anyways, kisses to everyone that has stayed faithful with my lack of regularity in updating. Mua. And hope you guys have had a wonderful holiday season. :D**


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